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Sunday, January 31, 2010

We Are Like Donkeys

(This story was related by Srimati Uma didi on Nityananda Prabhu's Appearance Day on 28th January 2010)

Once there was a businessman. He loaded his donkey with rice, sugar and other foodstuffs and headed towards a hill. Soon it was almost evening. The business found a spot to rest. Before doing so he took out his ropes and bound each donkeys'legs to another.

The next day the businessman went along his journey. He was already 30 miles away from the place he rested the previous night. Just then he remembered he left his ropes and it is quite impossible for him to get it back.

Soon it will be night. He was worried his donkeys may wander away. At that moment a sadhu (holy man) came by.

The holy man asked, "O sir, why do you look so worried?"

The businessman said, "I forgot to bring the ropes to bind my donkeys. Now they may wander off!"

"O don't worry. Just make hand gestures that you are binding your donkeys. And they will not move from there, " said the holy man.

The businessman did just that. The next morning the businessman saw all his donkeys were there just like the holy man said. He soon loaded his donkeys. Then he slapped the donkeys back so that they would start to move. Unfortunately the donkeys did not budge at all.

The puzzled businessman tried to do so again and again. But the donkeys did not move at all.

The businessman cried out, "O holy man! Can you give me some mantra to make my donkeys to move!"

"Just make the same hand gestures like you are untying the donkeys," said the holy man.

The businessman did as he was told. Soon the donkeys began to move and the businessman was on his way.

Purport

We are all like donkeys in this material world. We think that this is our actual position when in fact we are bound by the ropes of maya. (maya, means that which is not). So like donkeys we are going about our work doing had labour and think that we will be permanently be here.